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French filmmaker Luc Besson accused of rape in Paris

Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY
Published 4:11 p.m. MT May 20, 2018

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French director Luc Besson attends the closing ceremony of the 5th Beijing International Film Festival in China in 2015. French authorities said Saturday they are investigating a rape accusation against Besson, who denies wrongdoing.(Photo: ANDY WONG/AP)

Authorities in Paris are investigating a rape complaint against well-known French filmmaker Luc Besson, who has denied the allegations.

According to a judicial official who spoke to the Associated Press but was not authorized to be publicly identified, an unnamed 27-year-old woman filing a complaint Friday alleging that the 59-year-old director put something in her tea that left her unconscious. She accuses him of touching and penetrating her without her consent at the hotel Bristol in Paris.

Besson's lawyer, Thierry Marembert, told Agence France-Presse on Saturday that "Luc Besson categorically denies these fantasist accusations. (The accuser) is someone he knows, toward whom he has never behaved inappropriately." The filmmaker also denied the allegations to Variety through his legal representative.

USA TODAY has reached out to Besson's representatives for comment.

The reports came as Cannes Film Festival wrapped up in the South of France, where female filmmakers marched and spoke up about parity and representation. As part of Cannes' closing ceremony Saturday night, actress Asia Argento told the crowd that she was raped by Harvey Weinstein at Cannes in 1997.

“Even tonight, sitting among you, there are those who still have to be held accountable for their conduct against women, for behavior that does not belong in this industry, does not belong in any industry," Argento said. "You know who you are. But most importantly, we know who you are. And we’re not going to allow you to get away with it any longer.”

Besson has produced, written and directed nearly 100 films. His work includes the Taken series, The Fifth Element, Valerian and Leon.

The filmmaker's last movie, the sci-fi epic Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, was a box-office disappointment, earning $255 million worldwide against $177 million production budget.